Container body forming and cutting mechanism

Dec. 13, 1938. j. m. hothersall 2,139,682

CONTAINER BODY FORMING AND CUTTING MECHANISM

Original Filed June 20, 1933

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Patented Dec. 13, 1938

2,139,682

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,139,682

CONTAINER BODY FORMING AND CUTTING MECHANISM

John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey

Original application June 20, 1933, Serial No. 676,749, now Patent No. 2,056,192, dated October 6, 1936. Divided and this application September 24, 1935, Serial No. 41,950

Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for making bodies for containers such as are used for holding paint, white lead and other heavy products from preformed tubular bodies. It is 5 desirable for the sake of economy and efficiency in the manufacture of such containers that the preformed tubular body be of double or greater length and that this tubular body be subsequently cut or split into individual sections to 10 form individual container bodies. It is to mechanism for effecting this cutting or splitting operation that this invention is particularly directed. This invention is a division of my United States application Serial Number 676,749, filed June 20, 15 1933, on Art of making container bodies, now Patent No. 2,056,192, issued October 6, 1936.

An object of the present invention is the provision of mechanism for cutting and separating preformed tubular bodies into individual con20 tainer bodies which mechanism at the same time may also turn back and partially curl the split edges of the container bodies, the severance of the original tubular body thus producing two or more container bodies which are edge curled in 25 part.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying draw30 ing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of preformed double length container body adaptable for cutting or separation into two bodies in 35 accordance with the operation of the apparatus of the present invention, the view showing the ends of the body flanged and its central region reduced in diameter;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fully formed, 40 flanged, necked-in and partially edge-curled container body such as may be produced by severance of the double body shown in Fig. 1, the view illustrating the body which would be so formed from the lower half of the double body;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of mechanism embodying the instant invention, the view showing the cutting elements and the double length body in position prior to cutting and separation, of its sections;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the cutting elements at the completion of the cutting operation and showing the body cut in two sections; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail taken sub55 stantially along the line 5—5 in Fig. 4.

(CL 153—2)

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates a mechanism which is adapted to sever or cut preformed, double length tubular bodies transversely to produce two individual bodies from a single double length body. 6 The bodies to be cut may be unshaped, ordinary straight wall bodies flanged or unflanged or they may have their body wall shaped with beaded, necked-in or similar shapes with their ends flanged as the body illustrated in Fig. 1 and des- 10 ignated generally by the character a. Furthermore the cutting may be effected in any part of the body wall depending upon the use to be made of the cut bodies.

If desired the cut may be made so that a bead 15 formed in the body wall will be incorporated entirely in one of the bodies or the cut may be made directly through the bead so that there will be a part of it in each of the bodies after the original body is cut in two. . 20

This latter form of body obtained from the double body length is well adapted to the manufacture of paint pails, lead kegs, and the like' where it is desirable to have the upper end of the body reduced in diameter or necked-in, the bead 25 forming this necked-in part of the body. Such a necked-in body is herein used as an exemplary form of body to be cut by the mechanism embodying the instant invention, the body being formed with flanges b at each end and is necked-in or 30 reduced in diameter at its middle section as with an internal bead c as ilustrated in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for operating on the double body a comprises in part a pair of cutting heads 11,12 spaced end for end (Figs. 3 and 4) on which 35 the body is positioned in any suitable manner as by insertion of the heads into its open ends.

The head 11 is rotatably mounted upon the end of a tubular member 13 which is formed with an outwardly projecting flange (4 against which 40 one end of the head 11 abuts. Locknuts 15 are threadedly engaged upon the tubular member 13 and hold the head i I against the projection 14.

The head 12 is mounted in a similar manner upon a member 16, the inner end of the head 45 resting against a projecting flange 17 of the former. Locknuts 18 threadedly engaging the member 16 hold the head 12 in position against its flange projection.'

Members 13, 16 are suitably mounted for non- 50 rotation on a common axis but are movable longitudinally along such an axis. The members in such a movement are first separated one from another a distance sufficient to allow positioning of the beaded tubular body a between their ad- 55

2,139,683 jacent ends. They are thereupon moved inwardly toward each other to insert their cutting heads If, 12 carried thereby into the open ends of the body as was previously intimated (Figs. 3 and 4).

S In fully inserted position, projections 21, 22 Of the respective cutting heads 11,12 are against the flanged ends b of the tubular body clamping the body, in its position for cutting. It will be understood that the body a, and the heads H J 2 are all 10 rotated in unison on their common longitudinal axis on the members 13, 16.

Two backing-up rollers 25 are mounted upon and pinned to an idler shaft 26 which is parallel to the axis of the members 13, 16. This shaft 26 15 is suitably mounted for rotation on its own axis and also has parallel movement toward the cutting heads and the members 13,16.

With the tubular body a clamped between the cutting heads 11,12 and rotating therewith, the 20 shaft 26 is moved inwardly and the rollers 25 are brought into engagement with the rotating tubular body. Rollers 25 and shaft 26 are thereupon rotated in unison with the cutting heads. These rollers 25 are formed with rounded corners as il25 lustrated, the outer roller surface preferably fitting in the curved side walls of the bead c of the body. While in this engaged rotating position the tubular body a is cut or slit centrally of its beaded section c which action separates the body 30 into two parts.

The cutting or splitting is efiected by a cutting disc 28 pinned on a shaft 29 which is eccentrically mounted in a bushing 31, the latter being eccentrically mounted within the member 16 (see 35 also Fig. 5). The shaft 29 extends beyond the ends of the bushing 31 and is held against longitudinal movement within its bushing by the disc 28 on one end and by a collar 32 pinned on the other end.

When the cutting heads 11, 12 are in body clamping position, the cutting disc 28 is disposed within the space between the ends of the members 13, 16 and a sharp peripheral cutting surface of the disc aligns with the space between the back45 ing-up rollers 25. This is in the middle of the tubular body a as it rests on the rotating cutting heads.

The bushing 31 is extended laterally, beyond one end of the member 16, into an operating arm ₅₀ 35 and this may be moved in any suitable manner to rock the bushing 31 within its bearing in the member 16. This movement by reason of the eccentric mounting of the cutter shaft 29, shifts the cutting disc 28 outwardly from the position 55 illustrated in Fig. 3 first against and then through the wall of the body a into the final position illustrated in Fig. 4.

Rotation of the parts combined with the cooperation of the cutting disc acting on the body 60 wall from its shifted position, splits the tubular double body into two identical container bodies d (Fig. 2). The backing-up rollers 25 and the shaft 26 are thereupon returned or moved away and the severed container bodies may then be taken off of 65 the cutting heads II, 12 which are separated for this purpose.

The cutting disc 28 in moving outwardly through the body wall and at the time of cutting turns back the edges left in cutting and forms a 70 partial curl e on the edge of each body. In the container making art this is known as a started flange or curl which must be ordinarily performed in a separate operation. This latter operation is thus eliminated or saved by the mechanism just 75 described.

Although the drawing illustrates a mechanism adapted to cut the body at a reduced diameter section or internal bead, it should be understood that it is equally well adapted to cut through a straight wall section of the body, or through an 5 expanded section or external bead. It should also be understood that by interchanging the cutting' elements so that the cutting disc 28 is mounted exteriorly of the cutting heads 11, 12 and the backing-up rollers 25 are mounted in the heads, 10 the cutting action may be effected inwardly if desired. Thus the edge curl e may also be turned inwardly.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from 15 the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advan- 20 tages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.